Dear Colleagues,
It’s not too late to make a 2013 new years resolution. The January Literacy Tip suggested making 2013 the year for reading journals. Another good choice is to focus on daily independent reading and reading aloud. The month of February opens doors for lots of reading or giving books as gifts. February is Black history month, we honor two Presidents’ birthdays, and we celebrate Valentine’s Day.
A few favorite February reads:
- More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby
- The Blue and the Gray by Eve Bunting
- White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman
- Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy, Secret Admirer by Jane O’Connor
- Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine by Barbara Park and Denis Brunkus
- The Candy Smash (The Lemonade War Series) by Jacqueline Davies
- Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw
- Journey through Heartsongs by Mattie J.T. Stepanek
- Voices of the Heart by Ed Young
- I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
- Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
Author, researcher, and native Nebraskan Timothy Rasinski recommends educators use books containing great American speeches. Speeches are most effective when read aloud using lots of expression. Speech selections are perfect read alouds to increase fluency and word recognition. Books of speeches offer a unique perspective on American history. President Lincoln and Martin Luther King’s speeches were given 100 years apart; they can serve as the beginning and ending points for the study of American history over this 100-year span.
For more reading selections check out Creating a Literate Environment Through Children’s Literature, Chapter 8 in Strategic Reading in the Content Areas, 2nd edition.
Please forward this email to other interested colleagues. Interested readers can go to www.rachelbillmeyer.com to sign up for future Literacy Tips.
Happy Reading,
Rachel and Associates